Molitor Squeezes Streak Up To 39

Brewers` Dh Finds Hole On His 4th Trip

August 26, 1987|By Jerome Holtzman, Chicago Tribune.

MILWAUKEE — Paul Molitor, the thinking man`s hitter, marched into Ty Cobb Country here Tuesday night. Hitless in his first three appearances, the Milwaukee Brewers` designated hitter pushed a single to right field in the sixth inning to lengthen his batting streak to 39 games.

It was Molitor`s only hit in four official at-bats-he also walked-and was of not of major importance as the Brewers hung on for a 10-9 victory over the Cleveland Indians. Of more consequence in securing the victory was the slugging of shortstop Dale Sveum, who drove in five runs, three with his 19th homer of the season.

A surprisingly small County Stadium crowd of 15,580, attending in unseasonably cold weather, cheered Molitor`s every move and responded with the biggest roar of the night when he got his opposite-field single off Don Gordon, a little-known rookie right-hander who opened the season in the minors.

It was Molitor`s third hit in five at-bats against Gordon and enabled him to move to within one game of equaling Ty Cobb`s streak of 40 games in 1911 and within two of George Sisler`s 41 in 1922. Only Joe DiMaggio, 56 games in 1941, and Pete Rose, 44 in 1978, have had longer streaks in modern baseball history.

``Forty-four is a very nice number,`` Molitor said during a postgame press conference, an indication that he may be be aiming to match Rose. ``It has crossed my mind,`` he acknowledged. ``But you can`t look that far ahead. You have to take it day by day.``

Then he lauded the immortals of the past, particularly Cobb and Sisler.

``Just to be in that company with people like that, you have to be very appreciative,`` Molitor said. ``I`m having fun. I`ve enjoyed what`s been happening. I will have no regrets when it ends.``

If not for his all-round savvy and bat control, the end could have come Tuesday night. For only the ninth time during the streak, Molitor failed to hit safely in any of his first three appearances.

Ken Schrom, who made the start for the Indians, retired him on a routine fly ball to right in the first inning, then walked him on a full count in the second. Jamie Easterly, in relief of Schrom, retired Molitor on a little chopper to second baseman Tom Hinzo in the fourth.

The fans began booing Schrom in the second after he went to a two-ball count on Molitor for the second time in a row. They obviously were fearful that Schrom wouldn`t give him anything to good to hit.

Molitor refused to admit he was concerned. ``My first three at-bats were good,`` he insisted. Then he added, ``One of these nights I`m going to come up empty.``

He came up for the fourth time, leading off the sixth, just as Gordon was entering in relief of Easterly. Molitor said he expected Gordon to open with his slider, as he had done last week in Cleveland.

Instead, Gordon fired a fastball on the inside half of the plate. Nonetheless, Molitor was prepared. Instead of taking the pitch, he used an inside-out swing and pushed the ball through the hole between first and second, a clean hit.

The crowd responded with cheers and then began chanting ``Paulie!

Paulie!``

``I just got enough of it to squeeze it through that hole,`` Molitor said. ``Gordon has a very good fastball that runs in on right-handed hitters.``

Gordon, in tribute to Molitor, backed off the mound to allow the ovation to continue.

It was the 15th time during the streak that Molitor`s first hit was to the opposite field. He is batting .415 in the streak and .370 on the season.

``I knew he`d get it,`` said Brewers President Allan ``Bud`` Selig, who had been pacing in the press box.

``He`s just a terrific hitter.``

``Once you get the hit, it does take a burden off your back,`` Molitor conceded.

The victory was the fifth in the last six games for the Brewers and went to Juan Nieves, his 10th of the season.

Nieves, who earlier this season pitched a no-hitter, was tough through the first seven innngs but was knocked out in the eighth when he gave up three consecutive extra base hits: a double to Julio Franco and home runs to Pat Tabler and Joe Carter.

Ray Burris, Nieves` relief, was knocked out in the ninth when Brett Butler reached him for a two-run home run, extending Butler`s batting streak to 19.